Christmas Day Musings 2013

I hope you all don't get tired of hearing about "Christmas." This month was just the best. The best times I've had in a very long while. Christmas morning was a gift. I think it was a gift to all of us. "One more Christmas" like it used to be, or at least as close as we could get it. For the first time ever Katelyn did not spend Christmas Eve night at home with her family. She went back to her own little place and came back Christmas morning. I'm not gonna lie, it was strange and I didn't like it much, but at some point I have to realize my kids are young adults. She's 24 yrs. old and has her own apartment. I'm thankful she is at least "home"...same city, same state and only a 15 minute drive away.

I got up long before anyone else in the house woke up. I just wanted to have a bit of Christmas Quiet before all the commotion commenced. I turned the tree on, all three of the trees actually, made some coffee and enjoyed the peace of the morning. Christmas, this is the day Jesus was born. It's really His birthday and the real reason we have Christmas at all. We tend to get lost in all the commercialism and hype and buying gifts and going to parties and sending out Christmas cards, etc..., but when all is said and done, it's really about Jesus, God's greatest gift to us, to the world. Christmas is Love. Love in so many forms... I love shopping for my family and special friends. I always try to find "just the right thing"; it really makes me happy. I love receiving Christmas cards, especially those with pictures and letters included. December is such a fun month to get mail. I love hosting special Christmas gatherings for friends. I just love loving on those I love. :) Christmas seems to allow for more love, give more love, share more love and caring than any other time. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. So as I waited for my family to wake up, I was being especially thankful. All my kids together at Christmas makes my heart full to overflowing. They couldn't give me anything better!!

Now that the kids are all older, there are no more 6am wake ups. We have to wake them up now! ha
First thing was the big return of "Baby Jesus"... I have a handmade Advent calendar that I put out every year. I've had it since JR and K were toddlers. Since there are 4 kids, it seemed only fair to have them each take turns putting up something for "whatever day."  Baby Jesus is always the "24th."  All 4 wanted to put Baby Jesus in the manger and as they got older, Baby Jesus started disappearing way before the "24th." It got to be a game... "WHO STOLE BABY JESUS THIS TIME?" One year my son took Baby Jesus back to college (Boone-ASU) with him, so this year Baby Jesus was taken around the middle of December. It was the Sister this time!!

Look who was returned...

 No Christmas is complete without the "Step Picture"... we've taken a picture on the steps every year since we've lived in this house... 16 years. While I took the picture, Dad hid "the Pickle."

Step Picture 2013

Hiding of "the Pickle" has been a tradition for many years. We play this way: parents hide the Pickle somewhere in the Christmas tree. Whoever finds the Pickle first gets to be the first one to open a gift. Our kids have always really gotten into it and it's big time competition. A couple of Pickles have broken over the years and I always find another. This year Katelyn found the Pickle first.

2013 Pickle Finder Winner

All four of my favorite GIFTS!

The passing out and opening of gifts started after the Pickle was found. This ritual seems to last for at least an hour or more. Only one gift is allowed to be opened at a time. Everyone takes turns and everyone has to watch while the person opens his/her gift. Jacob loves to drag this part out. He takes his sweet time opening his gifts because he knows it will all be over way too soon. He wants to savor these moments. The others are like, "Jaaaa-cob!! Come on!!" All four kids have jobs now and all four kids went shopping for Mom and Dad. Kind of strange in a good way, but definitely different. I really feel old. haha  The kids went all out for us and we are very appreciative of their efforts. I got a very nice wireless copier that I had been wanting and a lovely Mermaid Pandora bead for my bracelet. I think I'm going to like having these older kids!

After the hoopla of opening gifts is over, we each retreat to our own little space to enjoy our goodies or to prepare dinner or to watch movies or to just do absolutely nothing. We stay in our pajamas all day long and simply "chill." It's the one day out of the year that I don't feel guilty for doing "nothing." 

Christmas was good this year. We made memories, good memories. I hope the kids feel good about it as well. I know there was some "fear and trepidation" of a potentially "sucky Christmas," but it wasn't; it was perfect, well almost, but we take what we can and accept and move on. There will be more Christmases together, perhaps in a different house with some new traditions mixed in with the old, but it will always be Christmas wherever we are together.

The lights are still twinkling and the star is still shining...

Love,
D~